RASC News Agency: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has announced the establishment of 46 holding facilities across Punjab Province as part of a systematic operation to identify, detain, and deport undocumented Afghanistani migrants. According to an official statement, eight specialized teams have been mobilized for this initiative. Migrants apprehended under the campaign will first be held in Lahore-based centers before being repatriated to Afghanistan. As of Monday, April 7, the FIA confirmed the deployment of five operational teams in Lahore and three additional teams across Nankana, Sheikhupura, and Kasur districts. The campaign follows the expiration of the Pakistani government’s deadline for undocumented Afghanistani nationals to voluntarily exit the country.
Citing figures from The International News, more than 4,000 Afghanistani migrants have been deported from Punjab since the deadline lapsed. Punjab Police further reported that approximately 6,000 individuals have been relocated to temporary detention centers, with 1,839 of them still being held in custody. Usman Anwar, Inspector General of Punjab Police, issued a firm directive stating that all undocumented migrants must be repatriated “at any cost,” while simultaneously stressing that the deportation process must uphold international human rights standards and humanitarian principles.
This latest move is part of a broader and increasingly hardline migration policy by the Pakistani authorities, drawing mounting concern from global human rights organizations. Observers have warned that the mass deportations, often carried out under contentious conditions, may pose significant risks to returnees, particularly under the repressive rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
